Call system adapted to be used in connection with automatic telephones



Oct. 31, 1933. c. BATTEGAY 1,933,039

CALL SYSTEM ADAPTED TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES Filed June 16, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I S 9 S INVENTOR. (005 fam 50 fiegq Oct. 31, 1933. c T E Y 1,933,089

CALL SYSTEM ADAPTED TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES Filed June 16, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ljiy. 2

IN VEN TOR. Consfa/fi Baffegay A TTORNE Y.

C. BATTEGAY Oct. 31, 1933.

CALL SYSTEM ADAP'I'ED TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES Filed June 16, 1931 s Sheets-Sheet s I!!! IIIIII lllli'llill I N VEN TOR Fons fan 7 flaffega A TTORIYEY.

Patented Oct. 31, 193" 1,933,089 CALL SYSTEM ADAPTED TO BE USED IN CONNECTION PHONES WITH AUTOMATIC TELE- Constant Battegay, Levallois-Perret, France, as-

signor to Societe Anonyme des Ateliers Brillie Freres, vLevallois-Perret, Seine, France, a corporation of France v 2 Application June 16, 1931, Serial No. 544,769,

and in France June 18,1930

14 Claims.

My invention relates to a call-system adapted to be used in connection with automatic telephones. I

An object of'my invention is to allow the calls to be made by subscribers who are unable,

through age or bad sight, to use the usual keyboard, or by exchange operators, with a view to simplifying and accelerating their manipulations.

Another object of my invention is to prevent the simultaneous pushing of two buttons, to pre .vent several breaking contacts to be placed in series, to permit eventually the control from a distance of the call apparatus by means of push buttons placed on a portable telephonic apparatus.

My invention consists essentially in making the call by means of an automatic key, comprising chiefly one or several cams driven by a motor, electric contactscontrolled by said cams, hand operated starting means and automatic stopping means.

Another object of my invention consists in providing a, mechanical locking device for preventing the simultaneous depressing of two buttons.

Another object of my-invention consists in providing, for each call disk, a breaking contact a, and a transversal bar, which leaves in the circuit only the breaking contact that corresponds to the button that has been depressed. A further object of my invention is to control from a distance the main apparatus by means of electromagnets disposed on said apparatus, or by means of mechanically operated buttons including in the electric circuit the contact of the desired code wheel.

Other objects of my invention will appear from the following description Preierred embodiments of my invention, given merely by way of example, will be hereinafter described with reference to theappended drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a transverse section of a call apparatus according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a. horizontal section of the paratus;,

Fig. 3 shows an advantageous shape or the code wheels; Fig. 4 is a vertical section of another embodiment of the call apparatus, said embodiment comprising electromagnets for controlling the apparatus from a distance; L

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatical view of another emsame .ap

bodiment, making it possible to control the ap paratus from a distance without electromagnets;

Fig. 6 is a-fragmental section showing an unlocking button which I employ.

It is a well known drawback of the ordinary call keys that are used in connection with automatic telephone systems, that they require an appreciable time for operation and a degree of accuracy in handling which is not within the skill of all persons.

The automatic key arrangement according to my invention is chiefly intended for the removal of these drawbacks. It is chiefly applicable in the case of the selected number of the most frequently used calls,gbut it allows the usual key to be retained for the more unfrequent calls that are not provided for by the automatic arrangement.

There are two main types of apparatus according to my invention; the firsttype embodying the direct control of -the operations in the case of stationary apparatus, for instance, for

offices-the second type corresponding to electric My apparatus essentially comprises a plurality I of code wheels mounted on a shaft and each provided, at its periphery, with 7 series of teeth, the number of which corresponds to the desired calls.

The common shaft on which are mounted all 1 these wheels may be driven at the suitable speed by a small electric motor, preferably a synchronous motor, fed from an. alternating currentsystem through a step down transformer. A series of-push buttons makes it possible to cause abreaking contact, connected in series to the telephone .line, to cooperate with one of the code wheels. Simultaneously, twocontacts are made: one for closing the circuit-of the driving motor, the other one for short-circuiting the local telephone apparatus during the call.

When one of the push buttons is depressed, it is held in that position during a complete revolution of the code wheels and it is then automatically released. A mechanical locking prevents the simultaneous depressing of two push buttons. However, an unlocking knob makes it possible to release a push button that has been depressed through a mistake.

In the case of portable telephonic systems, in order to avoid the necessity of displacing the whole apparatus, the. operation is performed through electrical controlling means and the push buttons are disposed'pn the. portable apparatus. By depressing one of said buttons an electromagnet is energized, which produces the same result as the depressing of the button of the ordinary call apparatus.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the motor comprises a single phase stator 1, half of the polar pieces of which are provided with rings for causing a lag of the flux so as to produce 'a rotary field. The rotor 2 starts to run in the same manner as in a synchronous motor and very quickly revolves at the same speed as the rotary field. It drives, through the intermediary of a speed reducing gear, a wheel 3 mounted on main shaft4 at a speed corresponding to one revolutlon in 10 seconds. A series of code wheels such as 5 may be engaged on shaft 4, owing to the provision, in said wheels, of a slot 6, through which shaft 4 may be passed. Once the code wheels have been placed in position, they are secured by means of a pin 7 screwed in wheel 3.

The code wheels are made of an insulating material. Each is provided at its periphery, with 7 series of ratchet teeth, the number and the disposition of which correspond to the various calls that are required. For instance, in order to make the call: Wagram 45.73-the code wheel will be provided with 7 series of wheels, .to wit: 9-2-4-4-5-7-3 teeth.

The push buttons such as 8 and 9 are disposed in such a manner as to form two rows on the upper table of the apparatus. They are normally elevatedby two plates, or blades, 11, secured to a cross piece 10, which is insulated from the table.

Each blade 11 is provided with two springs 12 and 13. Spring 12 is in contact with blade 11, while spring 13 is insulated. Said springs are normally engaged with each other through contacts 14 and the insulated spring 13 is provided with a supplementary contact 15 in the vicinity of the point at which it is secured.

Each of the blades 11 further carries a cone 16, which can be engaged, when the corresponding push button is depressed between the rollers 17 contained in a guiding element 18. Said rollers may be moved apart and caused to push out on either side two push pieces 19 and 20, mounted respectively upon two spring blades 21 and 22, which are then brought into contact with two other blades 23 and 24.

A hook shaped cross member 25, mounted upon two spring blades 26 and 27, engages the end of blade 11 and keeps it in the lowered position. In that position springs 12 and 13 are applied against 'the code wheel which is located opposite them and they may be actuated by the peripheral teeth of said wheel.

A transverse bar 28, supported by two spring blades '29 and 30, constantly presses against all' mains in contact only with the spring 13 carried by said particular blade.

The locking cross member is provided with two arms 31 and 32, which are raised, once for each revolution, by two pins 33 and 34 mounted on wheel 3 and disk 35, which is also keyedon main shaft 4.

The call contact is connected on the one hand to'cross piece 10 and on the other hand to spring blades 29 and It is connected in series with the breaking contact of the ordinary call disk. The contact for short circuiting the local telephone apparatus (combined transmitter and receiver) consists of springs 22 and 24, which are connected in shunt to the corresponding contact springs of the call disk.

Contact 21-23 serves to connect the winding of the stator of motor 1 with the secondary of a small transformer, which reduces the tension fed thereto from 110 volts to 12 volts.

The operation of my apparatus is 'as follows:

When at rest the code wheels are in the position shown in Fig. 1; the telephonic circuit is 'closed through cross member 10, blades 11, the contacts of springs 12-13 in shunt, the contacts of bar 28 and contacts 15 in parallel and springs 29 and 30.

When a button 8 is depressed the corresponding blade 11 is depressed so that its end engages hook member 25, which keeps said blade in the lowered position. Gone 16, which is mounted on blade 11, is simultaneously engaged between two rollers 17, which push back the adjacent rollers and push out the end push pieces 19 and 20.

Under these conditions, if it is desired to depress a second button, 9 for example, its cone 16 cannot find sufficient space between the rollers, which accordingly prevents any possibility of said second push button being depressed.

Likewise that arrangement prevents the simultaneous depressing of two push buttons.

However, if a mistake has been made, and if it is desired to depress another push button, it is poss'ble to move aside cross member 25 by means of a special push button called unlocking button 9', like the push buttons 9, and acting upon a bar 11 having a camming end 11 to act on part 25, as will appear from Figure 6 of the drawings.

Push buttons 19 and 20 respectively close contacts 21-23 and 22-24. The first of said contacts starts the synchronous motor and the second one short-circuits the combined transmitterreceiver. 7

Blade 11, in its downward motion, presses down on bar 28, which is displaced in a downward direction and remains in contact only with the corresponding contact spring 13. The ends of springs 12 and 13 come into contact 'with the code wheel which is located opposite them and the teeth of the code wheel cause said springs to move up and down successively, thus producing breaks of current between the contacts 14. The distance between the ends of springs 12 and 13 is equal to half the height of the teeth of the code wheels, in such manner that the time during which the break takes place may be substantially equal to the interval of time between two breaks. The speed of revolution of the code wheels corresponds approximately to a series of ten breaks per second. When shaft 4 has made a complete turn and the call operation is ended, pins 33 and 34 raise arms 31 and 32 and therefore push aside cross member 25, which releases blade 11, which was engaged thereby.

On said blade being released the rollers take back their normal position and the contacts 21-23 and 22-24 are broken. The motor stops and the apparatus 1's ready for a new call.

As already stated the code wheels are interchangeable and it is easy to substitute a code wheel for another one. To this effect it sufllces to unscrew pin 7 and to remove the code wheel that is to be changed. In order to avoid the necessity of cutting separately each code wheel, the 7 series of teeth are normally cut in the perphery and the teeth thatare not to be used are done away with. Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of a code wheel in which each series of teeth is out in a distinct arm, which may be cut at the I proper place in order to keep the desired number of teeth.

Fig. 4 shows'another embodiment of the apparatus according to my invention, when said apparatus is of the portable type. In order to avoid the necessity of transporting the call apparatus at the same time as the telephone apparatus, said call apparatus is stationary and is controlled from a dstance by means of a series of push buttons disposed on the telephone apparatus and of a cable comprising a plurality of conductors. Each button controls the circuit of an electromagnet, which depresses the corresponding blade 11 of the call apparatus.

Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of the apparatus which is particularly appl'cable to the controlling of the call apparatus from a distance through push buttons disposed on a portable telephone apparatus.

In that embodiment the breaking contacts disposed in the code wheels are normally all in contact with said wheels and the controllng push buttons serve to insert the contact corresponding to the desired call in the circuit.

Adverting to Fig. 5 the breaking contacts operated by the code wheels are shown at 37a, 37b,

370, etc. The control push buttons are 38a, 38b,

380, etc. Said buttons 38 are provided w.'th a locking device and remain in their depressed position. However, the fact of depressing a button releases the button that was precedently depressed, as in theordinary telephone apparatus.

By fully depressing a push button 38 a starting contact 39 is closed, but that contact does not remain closed when button 38 is no longer depressed.

The shaft of the code wheels is provided with a cam 40, which is provided with a notch 41 corresponding to the position of rest. A series of contacts 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47 bear aganst said cam; the first and the last of said contacts are open and .the second one is closed in the posithon of rest. Contact 42-43 is mounted in shunt with contact 39. Contact 44-45 short circuits both contacts 38 and 39. The third contact is adapted to short-circuit telephone apparatus 48.

The contacts 39 and 42-43, which are mounted in shunt close the feed circuit of motor 49; in the case of a synchronous motor the circuit of the stator will be connected to an alternating current system through the intermediary of a step-down transformer, for instance.

The operaton of .the above described apparatus is as follows:

When a button 38, 38b for instance, is de pressed, contacts 38b and 39 are made. When button 381) is no longer depressed, the corresponding contact remains in the lower position, but contact 39 is broken. The closing of contact 39 has for its effect to start motor 49 which drives cam 40 and the code wheels.

0 comes in register with contacts 42 to 4'7. The

motor stops and the combined transmitter-receiver ceases to be short-cir'cuited.

The last described embodiment is particularly applicable to the control from a distance because it does not necessitate any controlling electromagnet.

Obviously, and as above stated, my invention is by no means limited to the above described embodiments nor to the applications disclosed. It includes, on the contrary, it includes all modifications that come within the scope of the appended claims. In particular, concerning the various possible embodiments, the disks might be driven by any. suitable mechanical or electric motor, a small asynchronous motor being particularly advantageous in that it ensures a substantially constant speed without any auxiliary regulator being needed. Such a motor may be fed through a transformer if it is preferred not to lay the alternating current wires next to the telephone wires. I

Theicall circuit might also be automatically broken at predetermined intervals either through a disk carrying the various series of teeth corresponding to the desired call or through an auxiliary cam and contacts operated by said cam.

As concerns its applications, my improved apparatus might be used for other calls than in connection with automatic telephones of the ordinary type, for instance with the so-called dispatching system.

My apparatus might also be used forcalling the personnel in a factory or in a store, through sonorous or rhythmed signals.

It might also be used for emitting all kinds of signals, sonorous for instance, such as for firealarm devices.

What' I claim is: I

1. A call apparatus comprising in combination, a plurality of cam-shaped disks provided at their periphery with projections corresponding for each disk to a given series of signal impulses, a common shaft carrying said disks, a synchronous electric motor for driving said shaft, a call circult, two cooperating contacts for each disk connected to be controlled automatically by the rotation of said disk, a single member normally connecting all of the contacts in parallel to said call circuit, a plurality of electro-magnets, each corresponding to one disk, operatively connected to said contacts and said member for simultaneously disconnecting from said circuit all the contacts that do not-correspond to said disk, and bringing the contacts that correspond thereto into their operative position with respect to said disk, and a pluralityof push buttons, each corresponding to one electro-magnet, for controlling said electro-magnets.

2. Acall apparatus comprising in combination, a plurality of disks each provided at its periphery with projections corresponding for each disk to a given series of signal impulses to complete a call, a common shaft carrying said disks, a motor for driving said shaft, two cooperating contacts physically engaging each disk to be controlled by the rotation of said disk, a call circuit, and a plurality of push-buttons, corresponding each to one disk for controlling the connections of said contacts with said call circuit and for starting said motor.

3.'A call apparatus comprising in combination,

a plurality of cam-shaped disks provided at their periphery with projections corresponding for each a disks, a synchronous motor for driving said shaft, two cooperating contacts for eachdisk connected to be controlledby the rotation of said disk, a call circuit, a plurality of push buttons, one for each disk, for controlling the connections of said contacts with said call circuit, latch means for locking said push buttons in their depressed positions during a complete revolution of the shaft, and means associated with said disks automatically to release said latch means when the call iscompleted.

4. A call apparatus comprising in combination,

a plurality of cam-shaped disksprovided at their ;periphery with projections corresponding for each disk to agiven series of signal impulses to complete a call, a common shaft carrying said disks, a motor for driving said shaft, two cooperating contacts for each disk adapted to be controlled by the rotation of said disk, a call circuit, a plurality of push buttons, one for each disk, for controlling the connections of said contacts with said call circuit, and impediment means rendered operable by depressing any push button to prevent the depressing of two push buttons simultaneously. v

5. A call'apparatus comprising in combination, a plurality of cam-shaped disks provided at their periphery with projections corresponding for each disk to a given series of signal impulses, a common shaft for carrying all these disks, a'motor for driving said shaft, a call circuit, two cooperating contacts for eachdisk adapted to be controlled by the rotation of said disk, a transversal bar for normally connecting all these contacts in parallel to said call circuit, said bar being movable in a direction at right angles to itself, and a plurality of push buttons, each corresponding to one disk, for bringing the two contacts that correspond to one'disk into their'operative position with respect to said disk, and-simultaneously displacing said transversal bar, together with said two contacts and away from all the other contacts whereby said bar ceases to connect said other contacts to the call circuit.

6. A call apparatus comprising in combination a plurality of cam-shaped disks provided at their periphery with, projections corresponding for each disk to a given series of signal impulses, a common shaft for carrying all these disks, an electric motor for driving said shaft, a call circuit, an elastic bar for each disk, two cooperating contacts mounted on each of said bars and adapted to be controlled by the rotation of said disk, said contacts being normally maintained by said bar out of contact with said disks, a transversal'bar for normally connecting all these contacts in parallel to said call circuit, said transversal bar being movable in a direction at right angles to itself, and a plurality of push buttons, each corresponding to one elastic bar for bringing the contacts carried by said bar into contact with said disk and simultaneously displacing said transversal bar, together with said twcicontacts and away from all the other contacts, whereby said bar ceases to connect said other contacts with the calicircult.

7. A call apparatus comprising a plurality of cam shaped disks provided at their periphery with projections corresponding for each disk to a given series ofsignal impulses, a common shaft for carrying all these disks, an electric motor for driving said shaft, a call circuit, an elastic bar for each disk, two cooperatin contacts mounted on each of said bars and adapted to be controlled by the rotation of said disk, said contacts being normally maintained by said bar out of contact with said disks, a transversal bar for normally connecting all these contacts in parallel to said call circuit, said transversal bar being movable in a direction at right angles to itself, and a plurality of push buttons, each corresponding to one elastic bar for bringing the contacts carried by said bar into contact with said disk and simultaneously displacing said transversal bar, together with said two contacts and away from all the other contacts, whereby said bar ceases to connect said other contacts with the call circuit, in combination with a guiding member, a plurality of rollers slidably mounted in said guiding member, a projection at the end of said elastic bar adapted to engage between two of said rollers, and elastic stops at the end of said guiding member for limiting the outward displacement oflthe extreme rollers, whereby it is possible to engage only one projection at a time between the rollers and consequently to depress only one push button at a time.

8. A call apparatus comprising a plurality of cam shaped disks provided at their periphery with projections corresponding for each disk to a given series of signal impulses, a common shaft for carrying all these disks, an electric motor for driving said shaft, a call circuit, an elastic bar .for each disk, two cooperating contacts mounted on each of said bars and adapted to be controlled by the rotation of said disk, said contacts being normally maintained by said bar out of contact with' said disks, a transversal bar for normally connecting all these contacts in parallel to said call circuit, said transversal bar being movable in a direction at right angles to itself, and a plurality of push buttons, each corresponding to one elastic bar for bringing the contacts carried by said bar into contact with said disk and simultaneously displacing said transversal 116 bar, together with said two contacts and away from all the other contacts, whereby said bar ceases to connect said other contacts with the call circuit, in combination with a guiding memher; a plurality of rollers slidably mounted in 120 said guiding member, a projection at the end of each elastic bar adapted to be engaged between two of said rollers, an elastic stop at each end of said guiding member for limiting the outward displacement of the extreme rollers, means actuated by oneof said elastic stops for closing the circuit of said motor, a receiving'and transmitting local telephone apparatus, and means actuated by the other elastic stop for short circuiting saidlocal telephone apparatus.

9. In a call apparatus of the class described, a plurality of cam-shaped disks each having a plurality of radial arms, the ends of the arms being arc-shaped,'and having projecting teeth formed thereon, the arrangement being such that any desired combination or series of teeth may be produced by cutting away said arms and the surplus teeth thereon.

10. A call apparatus comprising in combination a plurality of disks provided at their peripheries with projecting teeth corresponding for each disk to a given series of signal impulses to complete a call, a common shaft carrying said disks, a motor for driving said shaft, an electric call circuit, two contacts mounted for movement into and out of direct physical contact with eachdisk and arranged in electrical series.in said call circuit, and manually operable means for placing the contacts or any particular disk in cooperative relation thereto. to permit such 150 disk through rotation to engage and disengage said contacts with one another, while said contacts remain in engagement with the disk for the purpose of sending a signal in the call circuit.

11. A call apparatus comprising in combination a plurality of disks provided at their peripheries with projecting teeth corresponding for each disk to a given series of signal impulses to complete a call, a common shaft carrying said disks, a motor for driving said shaft, an electric call circuit, two contacts mounted for movement into and out of direct physical contact with each disk and arranged in electrical series in said call circuit, and manually operable means for placing the contacts of any particular disk in cooperative relation thereto to permit such disk through rotation to engage and disengage said contacts with one another, while said contacts remain in engagement with the disk for the purpose of sending a signal in the call circuit, and means operable when any two contacts are in engagement with their associated disk to preclude the bringing of any other two contacts into engagement with a corresponding associated disk.

12. A call apparatus comprising in combination a plurality of disks provided at their peripheries with projecting teeth corresponding for each disk to a given series of signal impulses to complete a call, a common shaft carrying said disks, a motor for driving said shaft, an electric call circuit, two contacts mounted for movement into and out of direct physical contact with each disk and arranged in electrical series in said call circuit, manually operable means for placing the contacts of any particular disk in cooperative relation thereto to permit such disk through rotation to engage and disengage said contacts with one another, while said contacts remain in engagement with the disk for the p urposeof sending a signal in the call circuit, means operable when any two contacts are in engagement with their associated disk to preclude the bringing of any other two contacts into engagement with a corresponding associated disk, means for locking each pair of contacts selectively in engagement with their corresponding disk after beingforced into engagement therewith, and means associated with said disks for releasing the contacts from engagement with any disk after the disks have completed one complete rotation with contacts I in engagement therewith.

13. A call apparatus comprising in combination a plurality of disks provided at their peripheries with a series of projecting teeth corresponding for each disk to a given series of impulses to complete a call, a shaft carrying said disks, means to rotate said shaft, a call circuit including in multiple a plurality of switches corresponding to the several disks, push buttons, whereby any particular switch may be selectively engaged with its associated disk, latch means for locking the selected switch in engagement with its disk after being forced into engagement therewith, and means operable by the disk during rotation thereof to automatically release the latch means to permit of retraction of any switch engaging with any disk.

14. A call apparatus comprising in combination a plurality of disks provided at their p'ei'ipheries with a series of projecting teeth corresponding for each disk to a given series of impulses to complete a call, a shaft carrying said disks, means to rotate said shaft, a call circuit including in multiple a plurality of switches corresponding to the several disks, manually operable means for selectively forcing said switches into engagement with their respective disks, and stop means operable when any switch is forced into engagement With its disk, to preclude engagement of any of the other switches with their disks until the first mentioned switch is released from engagement with its disk,

CONSTANT BATTEGAY. 

